Branson’s Virgin Galactic Spaceport Officially Open For Business

On Saturday, the runway at Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America was officially opened at an inauguration ceremony that took place in the New Mexico desert. Richard Branson said that he, his parents, and two of his kids will be on the first flights to take off into space, with these flights taking off within eighteen months.

So it looks like dreams might soon become reality – for anyone who has ever dreamed of visiting space. But you’ll still need a padded wallet to get there. Tickets cost $200,000 for a 2 and a half hour flight which includes about 5 minutes of weightlessness. 380 people have already made deposits on a ticket, with those amongst the future passenger list including retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

“Today is very personal, as our dream becomes more real,” Branson said. “People are beginning to believe now.” “I think the drop flight two weeks ago, which went beautifully, I think it made people sit up and realize this is really reality.”